Recorded hate crimes in England & Wales rise by 18%

The Home Office has this morning released its annual Hate Crime statistics coinciding with National Hate Crime Awareness Week. In 2014/15, there were 52,528 hate crimes recorded by the police, an increase of 18 per cent compared with the 44,471 hate crimes recorded in 2013/14.

Hate crime is defined as ‘any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards someone based on a personal characteristic’. The improvement in the recording of offences by the police was mentioned above as a possible factor for the increase in police recorded hate crime.

It is possible for one hate crime offence to have more than one motivating factor which is why the following numbers add up to more than 52,528. 42,930 (82%) were race hate crimes; 5,597 (11%) were sexual orientation hate crimes; 3,254 (6%) were religion hate crimes; 2,508 (5%) were disability hate crimes; and 605 (1%) were transgender hate crimes.

At the start of National Hate Crime Awareness Week Rose Simkins, Chief Executive of Stop Hate UK said: “It’s important that we all continue to work together to ensure that those people who have been impacted by Hate Crime know where and how they can access support and the different options available to them. We want to see all perpetrators brought to justice and our communities made safer.

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“As part of Stop Hate UK’s commitment to the week we are extending our existing helpline service, 0800 138 1625, to anyone in the UK who experiences or witnesses Hate Crime for the duration of the week. Our lines will open at 6pm on 10 October and stay open for anyone, wherever they live in the UK until 6pm on 17 October. Please call or contact us by phone, email, text, text relay, web chat, online forms or the post”.